Display device



July 15, 1941. L KA 2,249;142

DFIISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 4, 1939 ATTORNEYS considerable item of expense.

Patented July 15, 1941 UNITED sTA E-s PATENT OFFICE a DISPLAY DEVICE Lewis A. Kagel, Tuckahoe, N. Y., assignor to J. C. Penney Company, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationMarch 4, 1939, Serial No. 259,757

3 Claims.

This invention relates to display devices, such as merchandise display stands, and the like, and has particular reference to a novel device of this charcter which is of a simple construction adapted for manufacture at low cost and which may be readily manipulated into various forms unobtainable heretofore in prior display devicessary to employ them in considerable number, as,

for example, when a full line of merchandise is to be displayed, with the result that the display devices occupy too much space and represent a I-Ieretofore, improved display devices accommodating a greater number of articles than the usual pedestal type of stand havebeen devised which include a pair .of opposed vertical walls having openings therein for receiving dowels, or the like, extending between thewalls.v The openings may be arranged in a single rowin each wall, or in double rows so that the dowels may be disposed in pairs. played are supported directly on the dowels, or on small supports clamped on individual dowels, and are confined within the side walls of the device. These display devices are 7 unsatisfactory for many purposes because each device may be made up into only a few display designsdiffering onlyslightly in appearance, the designs beingdetermined. by the particular openings selected to receive the dowels. Accordingly, the windowdresser or decorator must limit his designs to a few of the same generalpattern, or else he must have on hand a considerable number of pedestals of various forms which he selects from time to time to make up different display designs.

The present invention is, therefore, directed to a provision of a novel display device which may be made up into any one of a wide variety of forms or designs by a simple manipulationof the parts, and which, in addition, occupies only a relatively small space and yet is adapted to support a large number of articles of considerable size.

A display device made in accordance with the invention comprises a frame including a pair of fiat opposed side walls each having a plurality of laterally spaced openings, and one or more In either case, the articles to be dissides of the frame a considerable distance.

placed in a different position; The plaque'may be pairs of supporting members, such asdowels, or the like, extending between the walls and through the openings and projecting outwardly from one or both sides of the frame. The dowelsare ad justable lengthwise in-the openings to vary the lengths of their projecting parts, at each side of the-frame, and preferably, they are ofsufiicient len th-to projectoutwardly from one or both Ac-- cordingly, each pair of dowels isadapted to-sup-' port articles, such as shoes, clothing, etc., not only within the confines of the frame but'also beyond the side or sides of the frame where the dowels project, and the extent of the support provided by the dowels beyond each wall may be varied by simply adjusting the dowels lengthwise in the openings. The articles to be displayed may besupported directly on the dowels, but for some articles I prefer to employ one or more flat members or plaques mounted on a pair of dowels and:

on which the article or articles may rest, thedowels and the plaques beingso proportioned that one or more of the plaques may be mounted bethe frame, or both.

In the preferred form of the new device, the

frameiis rectangular and isprovided with double rows'of openings in the ends as well as inx-the sides, and some of .the dowels are longer than" the frame so that they maybe supported between the endsof the frame in the openings and pro-.- ject beyond one or both ends. Thus, the frame may be laid either on one side or on oneend,

and in eitherv case the dowels maybe arranged horizontally in pairs in selected openings so that, they are adapted to support articles within the:

confines of the frame and also beyond the sides or ends thereof, depending on the position of the forms differing widely in design and appearance,

by simply resting the. frame on either its side or its end, inserting the dowels in the desired positions in opposite openings, and adjusting the, dowels axially in the openings so that they pro.-,

vide supporting surfacesprojecting outwardly from the frame at one or bothsides. .Whena plaque is employed, it is preferably mounted. in, the desired position relative to the frame"by simply resting the plaque on a pair of dowels, whereby the plaque may be easily removed or used to advantage when the article to be displayed is so small that it would ordinarily fall between the dowels, and by the use of the plaque a background for the article is obtained which is attractive and makes the article stand out.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the frame of one form of the new display device;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of two dowels of different lengths which may be used in conjunction with the frame shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a plaque for supporting articles on the dowels;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views of a few of the different forms into which the display device may be manipulated, and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of part of the frame from the rear, showing one corner.

In the drawing, the numeral l designates generally a frame made of wood, metal, or other suitable material and which, in the form illustrated, is rectangular-although it may take various other forms. The frame includes side walls H and end walls l2 which are preferably reinforced at the corners of the frame by angle irons I3 screwed or otherwise secured to the edges of the walls-at the back. The angle irons are worked into a half roundso as to eliminate sharp corners, and they not only strengthen the corners of the frame but also serve as a glider on which the frame may be moved along the floor without scratchingit. Each of the sidewalls II is provided with two generally vertical rows of openings I4, and each end wall I! is likewise provided with two rows of openings l5, the-openings being arranged-in opposed relation in each pair of opposite walls.

The openings l4 and l 5-are sufficiently large to receive elongated supporting members, such as the dowels l6 and I1 shown in Fig. 2. As there shown, the dowel I6 is considerably longer than the frame so that it may be mounted on opposite openings in either the side walls or the end walls, and in either case will project a substantial distance outwardly beyond the confinesof the frame, while the dowel I1 is somewhat shorter than the length of the frame but longer than the width thereof, so that it may be mounted in opposed openings in the side walls and project outwardly beyond one or both of these walls.

The frame may be positioned either on .end or on one side, but in either case the .dowels are arranged horizontally in pairs in selected openings and adjusted longitudinally in the openings to determine the lengths of the parts .of' the dowels projecting beyond one or both of .the walls in which the dowels are mounted, and by thus manipulating the device, a wide variety of display designs may be obtained. In Fig. 4, I have shown one display design made up of two frames and a number-of dowels arranged ineach frame. One of the frames 10 is rested-on its side on a support l8 and has a pair of dowels l6. extending through opposite openings in the end walls I2, the two dowels bein mounted at substantiallythe sameheight in the frame. Thedowels [6 are adjusted lengthwise in the openingsv so that at one end they are substantially flush with one end 12 of. the frame, whereby the opposite ends of the dowels project outwardly a substantial distance from the frame, as shown at the left in Fig. 4. Thus, these two dowels together form an elongatedsupport within the frame between 'pair of shoes, the

the end walls thereof and another support outside the frame beyond one end wall. I It will be understood that the dowels I6 may be adjusted lengthwise to provide a different arrangement of the supports. For example, they may be adjusted to provide a support of the same length as that shown at the left in Fig. 4 but beyond the opposite end wall, in which case the support shown at the left in Fig. 4 is eliminated, or they may be adjusted to provide shorter supports beyond both of the end walls l2.

Mounted on end on the top of the lower frame H1 is a similar frame in which a plurality of shorter dowels I! are arranged in staggered relation in the openings I4. As shown, the pair of dowels ll nearest the top of the frame is positioned lengthwise in the opening so that they project substantially equal amounts beyond each side of the frame, while the pair immediately below it is positioned so that the dowels project outwardly from only one side of the frame, the right side in Fig. 4. Thus, the pairof dowels I1 nearest the top provides an inclined support between the side walls of the frame and a relatively short inclined support beyond each side wall, while the two dowels immediately beneath provide an inclined support'between the side walls and another inclined support beyond one side wall approximately twice as long as one of the outside supports provided by the first pair.

The articles to be displayed may be mounted directly on the supports thus provided by the dowels, so that the articles span the dowels supporting them. 'Howevenin some instances, particularly when the articles arerelatively small and would ordinarily fall betweenthe dowels, I prefer to rest the articles on generally flat members mounted on the dowels, such asthe plaque 20 shown in Fig. 3. Thus, as shown in Fig. 4-, each of the two uppermost pairs of dowels supports a plaque 20 between the side walls II. The

sliding off the dowels, I prefer to provide a projection on the bottom of each plaque engaging one of, the supporting dowels. This projection may be conveniently provided by forcinga sharpened element, such as a nail or a pin, through the plaque, as shown at 2|. I

If desired, anadditional plaque 20 may be interposed between a third pair of dowels 11 near the bottom of the uppermost frame, with the lower edge of the plaque resting on the lower end I 2 of the frame and the plaque leaning against the rear dowel. The other dowel, accordingly, extends in front of the plaque and may serve to prevent the article to be displayed from sliding off the plaque. For example, in displaying a heels may be hooked over the front dowel so that the toe portion extends downwardly from the dowel and rests on the lower partof the plaque.

Mounted in'the lower frame It! is a plaque 22 inclined position against the dowel near'thelbackv of the frame; Thus, the plaque is supported in approximately the same fposition'as thesmaller plaques 20 with its lower edge resting on the support l8, and the articles mounted on'it may be held by the front theplaque. V

Articles such as gloves, shoes, etc., may be supported on the plaques 20 and 22 and will be clearly visible from the front of the device by reason of the inclined positions ofthe plaques. Also, other articles-may be supported directly on I the projecting parts of each pair of dowels or on small plaques, or the like, mounted on the projecting parts. It will be observed that the dowels IS, the frame, and the plaques 20 are so proportioned that the dowels, when in the position shown in Fig. 3, are adapted to support a plaque 20 outsidethe frame, as shownat the left in Fig. 3.

In the display shown in Fig. 5, a frame It! is rested on end on the plaque 22 and has four pairs of dowels extending between the side walls at different levels, the dowels in each pair being arranged side by side. The pair of dowels nearest the top of the frame consists of two of the shorter dowels IT, while the pair directly beneath consists of two of the longer dowels [6. Similarly, the next pair of dowels consists of two of the shorter dowels l1, and the pair nearest the bottom consists of two of the longer dowels. As shown, the dowels in each pair are positioned lengthwise in the openings so that they project substantially equal distances beyond the side walls of the frame. Accordingly, each pair of dowels l1 provides a support between the sidewalls and another relatively short support beyond each side wall, and the pair immediately beneath provides similar supports except that the supports outside the frame are considerably longer. The dowels l6 and the frame l are preferably so proportioned that the outwardly projecting portions of the dowels, when the latter are positioned as shown in Fig. 5, are sufiiciently long to support plaques 20 at each side of the frame.' Thus, the device as shown in Fig. embodies a considerable number of supporting surfaces located both within and outside the confines of the frame, and these surfaces are capable of supporting a relatively large number of articles.

Another form into which the display device may be manipulated is illustrated in Fig. 6. As there shown, the frame is rested on end and has four pairs of dowels extending between the side walls at different levels and each pair projecting beyond one or both sides of the frame. Mounted on the uppermost pair of dowels I"! is a plaque 20, on which one end of a dowel l1 rests. The dowel extends upwardly from the plaque through one of the openings in the top of the frame and supports another plaque in an inclined position with the bottom edge of the plaque resting on the top of the frame. Nails or pins 24 may be inserted through the plaque 20 on opposite sides of the dowel to prevent the plaque from rolling.

The pair of dowels nearest the bottom of the frame consists of two of the longer dowels l6, and they are positioned lengthwise in the openings so that corresponding ends thereof are substantially flush with one side of the frame. Accordingly, the dowels l6 project a considerable distance beyond the opposite side of the frame,

dowel Hi from sliding off as shownat the lower rightin Fig: 6; and, be-

cause f'of the Jproporti'onsfofth'e' dowels 1| 6, 1 the;

frame, and the Eplaque22, these projec ting ends of the dowels are adapted-to support 'a plaque 22 outside theframe. Above'ithese dowels is anotherpair of dowels 16, the .latter being posi-' tioned lengthwise in the openings I4so that cor-- responding ends are substantially flush with the side wall from which the lower. dowels l6' pro-- ject. Accordingly,the :upper'pair of dowels 16 are adapted'to support another plaque '22.

The two plaques 22' are capable of supporting a large number of articles outside the frame and other articles maybe supported within the frame directly on the dowels or. on one or'more'ofthe smaller plaquesf20' resting-on the' dowels. Also, one or more articles may be supported'on the projecting portions of each' painof dowels H on one or both sides of the frame. The plaque 20 on the top of the frame may be used to support cloth articles, such as gloves, handkerchiefs, etc., which may be draped over the upper edge of the plaque or held by friction on the front face thereof.

With the new display device, it will be apparent that a large number of display designs differing widely inappearance may be made up by a simple manipulation of the parts. The plaques 20 may be supported either horizontally or in an inclined position by the dowels depending upon the openings which are selected to receive the dowels, and may be disposed either inside the frame or beyond the confines thereof, or both. The frame itself may be rested either on its side or on an end, and when it is rested in the latter position, the dowels l6 are adapted to support plaques in various combinations both within the frame and outside the walls thereof. For example, the dowels may support a single large plaque 22 within the frame either in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 4, or in a horizontal position, or they may support a plurality of the smaller plaques 20 within the frame. adjusting the dowels I B endwise, they may be arranged to support one of the smaller plaques 2!] beyond each end of the frame, or a larger plaque 22 beyond one end. The plaques may be made in diiferent sizes than those shown, as, for example, in smaller sizes so that they may be arranged in horizontal rows along a pair of dowels. By reason of the proportions of the larger plaque 22, the frame, and the dowels IS, the plaque 22 may be used to support articles on the dowels within the frame when the latter is rested on one side, or, when the frame is stood on end, to support articles beyond the side walls of the frame, or to support the frame itself.

I claim:

1. A display device comprising a generally recwhen the frame is on one side, the members to-' gether forming a support within the confines of the frame and another support outside the frame when. the frame is on end.

Also, by i 2.. A; display device comprising a generally rectangular frame having opposed side and end walls, each wall having at least two laterally spaced openings therein, and a pair of elongated members extending horizontally between opposite walls and through opposed openings therein, the members being removable from the openings and being at least as long as the frame whereby they are insertable selectively in opposed openings in the side walls, when the frame is on end, and the end walls, when the frame is on one side, the members together forming a support within the confines of the frame, an elongated member extending through an opening in the top wallof the frame and a generally flat element resting on edge on the top wall and supported in back by said last member.

3. A display device comprising a generally rectangular frame disposed on end and having opposed side and end walls, each wall having at least two laterally spaced openings therein, a pair of elongated members extending horizontally between the side walls and through opposed openings therein, the members being removable from the openings and being at least as long as the frame whereby they are insertable selectively in opposed openings in the side walls and the end walls, the members being adjustable lengthwise relative to the frame and together forming a support within the confines of the frame and another support beyond one of the side walls thereof, and a generally flat element disposed on said last support and spanning the elongated members thereof, said element being of a width greater than the width of the frame but less than the length thereof, whereby the element is adapted to be supported on said members within the confines of the frame when the members are mounted in opposite openings in the end walls. LEWIS A. KAGEL. 

